Nehemiah Episode 5
In Chapter 3 the rebuilding begins. We have a description of how this happens. It is always pretty interesting to understand how a plan begins to come together. There have been a number of movies in recent years charting the genesis of companies like Facebook, Apple, Blackberry, MacDonalds. They explore the insights into the challenges, triumphs, and setbacks experienced by entrepreneurs and business founders as they strive to build and grow their ventures. Generally, they focus on the people, the processes and the specific details that have particular significance. We see elements of all these things in this part of the Nehemiahstory. Five things stand out for me in this passage.
Firstly the naming of the individuals. If you are ever asked to read a Bible passage with difficult names in public confidence tends to win over accuracy so here goes!
Eliashib, Zakkur son of Imri, the sons of Hassenaah, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, Zadok son of Baana, Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah, Gibeon and Mizpah---Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth Uzziel son of Harhaiah, Hananiah, Rephaiah son of Hur, Jedaiah son of Harumaph, Hattush son of Hashabneiah, Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab, Shallum son of Hallohesh, Hanun, Malkijah son of Rekab, Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, Rehum son of Bani, Hashabiah, Binnui son of Henadad, Ezer son of Jeshua, Baruch son of Zabbai, Eliashib, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, Benjamin and Hasshub, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, Binnui son of Henadad, Palal son of Uzai, Pedaiah son of Parosh, Zadok son of Immer Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, Meshullam son of Berekiah, Malkijah,
This is a lot of people and a lot of family relationships are mentioned. These are people who rise to the challenge and repair or rebuild. People matter in the economy of God. It is not just that the work needs to be done it is that individuals are called into the work, that families are called into the work. People are not disposable resources they matter to God and here is a reminder that their contribution is recorded and remembered. God knows your name and what you do in his service. He also knows how to pronounce it.
We also know something about many of these individuals. The High Priest is there, we have a couple of goldsmiths and a perfume maker (I quite like the idea that the perfume makers would have worked on the Dung Gate but that sadly was not the case) Three or four senior civil servants who are rulers of different sized districts of Jerusalem are also mentioned.
But secondly there are groups of people mentioned who are not specifically named.
Priests v1, the men of Jericho v2, the men of Tekoa v5 and v27, men from Gideon and Mizpah v7, the daughters of Shallum v12, temple servants v26 and v 31, goldsmiths v 32 and merchants v31 and v 32. These groups are defined by geography, gender or vocation. This is a great coalition of the willing. A diverse group who find common cause in a shared mission.
Individual leaders are nothing without teams. I don’t know if you have ever read a book about something you have been involved in and search for a mention of your contribution. I sometimes wonder how the disciples who are named but never recorded as saying or doing anything of note might have felt had they been able to read the gospels. They were there, they contributed.
Each of us has a part to play. The different individuals and groups have a common vision and a shared purpose. Their diversity enriches the task force as they bring different backgrounds, strengths and perspectives.
Thirdly Nehemiah does not mention himself at all. This is a testimony to the people of God responding to the call of God. It is not his narrative.
In the UK some years ago I remember talking to someone before a big Easter festival. They said that their team had been briefed that their primary role was to make their boss look good. I was a little perturbed by this and asked the individual concerned if this could possibly be true. “Of course”, he told me “My reputation is critical to the success of our ministry and the better light I am seen in the the more our donors will believe in what we do”.
I have little time for this way of thinking.
My philosophy is to be clear that leadership is about service. I want to live up to the words of Jesus who said “I am among you as one who serves”, it is not anyone’s responsibility to make me look good – it is my responsibility to make other people look good. We work together as one for the sake of the gospel.
The leadership that is described here is of people rolling their sleeves up and getting involved. There are plenty excuses that priests, officials, goldsmiths, perfume makers, and merchants could make for opting out. It is noteworthy that no carpenters or stone masons are listed here at all.
The basic qualifications appear to be faith and commitment. But it is something of a patchwork Baruch is singled out positively for his zeal and enthusiasm in v 20. On the other hand the nobles of Tekoa are given special mention in v5 for refusing to work and take direction, Malchijah son of Harim is mentioned in v11. He was previously featured in Ezra 10 as one of the those challenged for taking a pagan wife. That sin from years before does not disqualify him from serving here. There is a realism that is always refreshing through the Bible. People are not airbrushed to perfection, they come as they are.
Which brings us to the fourth point which is the story of their collaboration.
They are all working together. We are given a comprehensive review of the geography of Jerusalem. The Sheep Gate, the Tower of the Hundred, the Tower on Hananel, the Fish Gate, the Jeshanah Gate, the Broad Wall, the Tower of the Ovens, the Valley Gate, the Dung Gate, the Fountain Gate, the Pool of Siloam by the King’s Gardens and the steps going down from the City of David, the Tombs of David, the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes, the armoury to the angle of the wall to the House of the High Priest, the Water Gate, the Great Projecting Tower, the upper Palace, the court of the Guard, the Wall of Ophel, the Horse Gate, the East Gate, the Inspection Gate and back to the Sheep Gate again.
As well as the ten gates, five towers and various salient features there are sections of wall and people's houses mentioned. It all fits together. A city wall is only ever as strong as its weakest section. The phrase “next” in terms of a section or a builder is used 26 times,
Everything is broken down, the state of disrepair is exhaustive, but it is addressed by a comprehensive endeavour where each person and group plays their part.
It reminds me of Paul’s description of the church in Ephesians 4 v15 and 16
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
When each part does its work. Together we work to grow faith in a new generation and invest in their development so their impact is multiplied where they are now and where they will be in the future. The building of God’s kingdom is about each of us doing our part. So we need to work n collaboration and partnership wherever this is possible. Different missions and churches are not in competition we each play our part together. This is also true of individuals. In InterVarsity Canada we have student leaders, men and women who work at camp and in universities and people who look after horses and boats, who manage finance and communications. We have people who serve on staff, volunteers and supporters who pray and give. It is when we each play our part within the wider mission of God that growth happens.
Although the geography in Nehemiah 3 is the template, the key thing is that they are building the wall around the city to secure the perimeter and safeguard people. The purpose is peace and prosperity and to glorify God. It is about where they work but also about why.
Five times doors with bolts and bars are mentioned. This secures the gates and makes them functional. This reminds us of how the general and the specific work together.
In IFES we work in many different countries and contexts. But the common purpose is to help youth, students and graduates discover Jesus, develop undivided lives and grow in influence. Ultimately to see lives transformed by the gospel and companies, institutions and communities shaped by the impact of the word of God.
Fifthly and finally the details of the work are spelled out. They are building on a foundation that was there already. The most commonly used verb is repairing rather than building and rebuild features more than build, the Hebrew word chazaq translated here as repair is used 35 times in this chapter, it has associated ideas of strengthening, building up and making strong. We always build on what God has done before we got involved.
I have been called at different times to participate in pioneering or rebuilding. In both cases I am conscious that we are always working on what God has done before and because it is God’s work and has always been God’s work there will always be foundations to build on. It is completely unacceptable to imagine that all that has gone before was somehow less worthwhile and to attempt to improve our reputation at the expense of our predecessors.
In the Nehemiah generation the people have different tasks to accomplish in the bigger plan.
Some are called to clear up rubble, some to lay beams, some to repair stonework, others to hang gates. We use the gifts God has given us in the context that God has placed us to participate in his work to his glory. Each aspect of the work has value and contributes to the whole.
The Message translates those verses in Ephesians 4 as
“No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love-like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.”
Psalm 127 reminds us that
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”
This building was God’s work. Eliashib the high priest dedicates the Sheep Gate as the doors are set in place and the first section of wall to the North is rebuilt. This is a markers to celebrate.
How does what you are called to do in your family, work, church and community contribute to the wider work of God?
Who are you called to do it with and who does your section of work connect with?
Is anything stopping you from building?